The future of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant is still uncertain.
“Since that path to extended operations isn't necessarily guaranteed, they [PG&E] wanted to continue both paths,” said Susan Strachan, San Luis Obispo County Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Manager.
San Luis Obispo County has released a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the decommissioning of the nuclear plant. This comes even as PG&E continues its effort to extend operations at the site.
In a statement, PG&E Communications Representative Carina Corral said, “As directed by Senate Bill 846, PG&E is pursuing extended operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant to continue meeting the clean energy needs of Californians. At the same time, PG&E is diligently planning for the eventual decommissioning of the plant.”
The draft EIR outlines a 15-year plan to dismantle the plant.
“I think, for a lot of folks, when you think about decommissioning and dismantling a nuclear power plant, obviously you know how things are going to be disposed of, how things are going to be transported, how we're going to manage the remediation of the land afterwards,” said SLO County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg.
The draft EIR is broken down into phase 1, potentially from 2024 to 2031, and phase 2 from 2032 to 2039.
“In the first phase, that's the bulk of the dismantlement and demolition of the power plant itself,” Strachan explained. “Then in phase two, it gets into doing testing that has to be done to make sure that any chemical contamination or radiological contamination has been removed and then restoration or revegetation of the site.”
“PG&E will safely and responsibly decommission DCPP in a manner that is respectful of the environment, reflects local community input and is consistent with regulatory requirements,” Corral added.
The EIR has a 60-day review period, so the public has an opportunity to submit comments. The deadline to submit is Sept. 25, 2023, at 5 p.m.
“It's important for the public to take a look at this document and read some of the areas of interest to them, because they can weigh in and provide comment,” Ortiz-Legg said.
The report also takes a look at other properties that could be involved in the decommissioning of the power plant such as the Pismo Beach Railyard and the Santa Maria Railyard Facility at Betteravia Industrial Park.
“PG&E identified a rail transport facility in an industrial area in northern Santa Barbara County where they would transfer decommissioning waste materials from trucks onto railcars and then send it out by rail for disposal,” Strachan added.
There will be a chance to participate in person or virtually as well.
A public meeting will take place on Aug. 9, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo County Government Center. A study session is scheduled for Sept. 5, 2023, at 9 a.m. also at the SLO County Government Center.
To view the report, click here.
